


gotta get with my friends

by barelyprolific



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: B-Team takes care of their own, Gen, HOW DID HE NOT KNOW THOUGH, M/M, Nico POV, Nico regrets everything, Qadri is not up for discussion, also we're back to song lyrics for titles, badass Helm, filler fic, idk - Freeform, just in case, set between 15.06 and 15.08, shout out to the spice girls, someone take this ship away from me, they're the best friends schmitt has. probably., this did not go where I thought it would, uhhh mention of sexy times but no actual sexy times
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-15 19:43:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16939497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/barelyprolific/pseuds/barelyprolific
Summary: In the days following the elevator incident, Nico just wants to clear the air with Schmitt. The other interns make that difficult.





	gotta get with my friends

**Author's Note:**

> I can't stop writing schmico? Send help.

The thing about the whole situation was, now that Nico _knew_ , he didn’t know how he _hadn’t known_.

    Schmitt had never kissed a guy before. All the signs had been there. Fuck, going over everything in his head, it was glaringly obvious. The first time Nico had winked at him, Schmitt had _dropped a basin_ and then complained about too much testosterone.

The stuttering, the blushing, the rapid blinking of those big, dark eyes of his, the way he’d stilled like a cornered rabbit every time Nico touched him… Maybe he had to admit to himself that he just hadn’t wanted to consider that Schmitt was inexperienced.

Nico picked up the beer he’d opened and set on his coffee table, took a swig. No Joe’s that night. Schmitt had said he wasn’t going out, but Nico didn’t want to risk it. Maybe not for a few nights. Besides, Link said he had plans, and he didn’t really know anyone else that well yet. There certainly wasn’t anyone at the hospital _besides_ Link he could talk to about Schmitt.

And so he sat at home, kicking himself.

Well, at least he knew now why Schmitt had blown him off for that drink, then shown up at Joe’s anyway looking like a present Nico wanted to take home and rip the wrapping off of. Probably had to decide whether or not he wanted to fool around with a guy, first.

It didn’t make Nico feel any better. What if he had taken Schmitt home? Kissed him then like he’d been wanting to. Been Schmitt’s first time having sex with a guy as well as his first kiss. It would have been an even bigger mistake.

Nico hadn’t been able to tell in the moment. That Schmitt had never kissed a guy before. He had been reaching for Nico the second their lips connected, and while he hadn’t seemed sure about what to do with his hands, he’d responded like he wanted Nico too.

Wanted Nico for what, though? To teach him how to be gay? To experiment with? Sneak around with? That wasn’t what Nico wanted.

Call him a sap, but he wanted a soulmate. Schmitt was definitely his type, he hadn’t been lying about that, but from the first time they’d come across each other, Nico had felt drawn to him. Maybe a part of him had been hoping that that immediate attraction meant something. Maybe that was why he’d refused to see what was right there.

It wasn’t like Schmitt was subtle. He projected everything he was feeling, loudly. Nico loved it. Loved every slight widening of his eyes, slight drop of his bottom lip. Slight little hitch of his breath. Wanted to get him alone and see all the other ways that Nico could coax those reactions out of him.

He’d wanted Schmitt from the second his eyes had accidentally landed on him while he and Link were approaching Nisha.

Still wanted him.

Nico finished his beer. Rather than popping open another one and settling in to a night of binging, however, he simply set the bottle down and laid back on the couch, throwing an arm over his eyes.

It had been one of the hottest kisses of his life, if not the hottest. Schmitt was just the right size to haul in, and he’d come so willingly, stood in his tiptoes to get better access to Nico’s mouth. Those pink lips of his had been even softer than Nico had fantasized about, the rough slide of stubble under his palm had gone straight to Nico’s cock… He kept coming back to it, but it hadn’t seemed like the first time Schmitt kissed a guy at all.

That was the part Nico was having the hardest time with. Schmitt had kissed him like he’d been wanting Nico just as badly, when looking back, it was so obvious he’d been panicked and confused.

Afterwards, too. It had seemed like Schmitt wanted Nico to kiss him again, rambling nervously, repeating what he’d said before.

Calling their kiss perfect.

Nico would have reeled him in again, except that things had finally clicked.

_“I thought this was a teaching hospital,"_ Schmitt had yelled at him, but Nico didn’t want to have to teach his boyfriend how to be gay. The last thing he needed in his fellowship year was to be someone’s support while they struggled with coming out. If Nico was going to date, he needed something--someone--he could count on. That wasn’t going to possibly change their mind.

Schmitt was sweet, eager. If anything happened, Nico’s heart would be in serious danger.

He didn’t want it broken.

That didn’t mean he’d wanted to hurt Schmitt. Maybe he could have handled the shock of it better.

Tomorrow, he’d find a way to apologize, and explain.

 

Except that he didn’t see Schmitt the next day. Instead, he and Link had Helm, who was super friendly to Link and gave Nico the stink eye every time the doctor’s back was turned.

“Is there a problem here?” he finally asked, exasperated, after Helm waited almost half an hour for Link to ask him a really simple question. "I could have answered that.”

The look Helm gave him when she took her gloves off could have frozen a volcano mid-eruption.

“No, of course not,” she said smoothly, “I just didn’t want you to feel pressured by the idea of _teaching_ me.”

 

The day after that, it was Parker. Nico relaxed a little. Parker was military, quiet, polite and respectful.

Or at least, that’s what Nico thought.

Quiet, sure. Polite, respectful?

Link got called away for an emergency, which meant it was just Nico and Parker on the case, and Parker just.

Didn’t talk.

Everything he did was silent. Silently following instructions, passing him things, silently anticipating his needs.

No talking at all. It was driving Nico crazy.

“Look,” he finally said, once the kid--a skater teen who had just realized he might not be invincible--had had his ankle set. “I get that Schmitt is your friend.”

Parker just blinked at him and turned away.

“I wasn’t trying to hurt him. I’m trying to make sure _I_ don’t get hurt.”

No response.

Great.

 

By the time Nico found out Qadri would be with them the next day, he wasn’t surprised. He was exhausted, and a little jumpy. Every time he closed his eyes, he relived that damn kiss, but he hadn’t actually seen Schmitt in a few days, so being at the hospital, he was constantly on alert.

He just wanted to _talk_ to him.

Qadri had worked with them once or twice before, always calm and collected. Third in her class, Nico knew she impressed the hell out of Link. It was a relief when she acted completely normal for the entire day.

Well, almost the entire day.

Towards the end, as they were wrapping up behind the scenes and Link was dealing with final instructions, she turned to him, her dark eyes glittering dangerously.

“Doctor Kim,” she began, and he held up his hand.

“Look, Qadri, whatever Schmitt told you…”

“He didn’t have to tell us anything.” Her voice was sharp, and Nico’s mouth snapped shut. “You seem to think that Schmitt is the sort of person who would do that, but he didn’t need to. We know him, Doctor Kim. We saw what you did to him, and we see how he is now.”

“What I _did_ to him?” For fuck’s sake. Nico scrubbed a hand over his face. “I didn’t do anything--”

“You made him feel hope.”

Nico’s mouth clicked shut.

“He doesn’t have it easy here. None of us do, but Schmitt… He’s clumsy, and he’s socially awkward, and I’ll admit even his fellow interns aren’t always supportive of him.” There was a hint of regret in her voice. “You made him feel seen. We could all tell. When you weren’t around, he was...different. Starting to become more confident. You showed an interest, and it was good for him.

I don’t know what happened between you two. Schmitt hasn’t said anything. But he asked us to take any shifts he might have with ortho for awhile, and we agreed, because--at least for me--I’ve seen Schmitt in some pretty low places. But I have never seen him like that.” Qadri’s chin lifted, and her eyes narrowed. Nico tried to swallow the lump in his throat. “Maybe you have your reasons. I’m not here to judge.”

“You seem pretty damn judgemental right now.”  

“Yes, well.” She shrugged one thin shoulder. “That’s not why I’m here. That doesn’t mean I can’t multi-task.” She paused, and then said, “And why does how experienced Schmitt is matter, either way? So what if he’s never slept with a guy?”

“I thought he didn’t say anything to you.”

“He didn’t say anything to _me_. Or Parker. But he and Helm are close, and she was rooting for the two of you.”

Nico was confused. A little pissed off. Given Helm’s attitude that first day, he had a feeling whatever Schmitt had said painted him as a bad guy. Maybe he hadn’t been the nicest he could be about it, but…

“Wait. So you all know Schmitt’s in to men?”

“Doctor Kim, we _don’t care_. We just want him to be happy, like he just wants us to be happy.” She studied him for a moment longer, her arms crossed over her chest. “Of course, now none of us want you anywhere near him, but…”

“I’ve been trying to apologize,” Nico said quickly. “I was going to do it the next day, but with the three of you playing keep away, and Schmitt apparently having insane powers of avoidance, I haven’t had a chance.”

“I’m not going to help you with that. I don’t blame Schmitt for avoiding you right now.”

“Well, no, but…”

“But I know someone who can. If you can talk her into it.”

Nico winced. “Helm?”

Nodding, Qadri grinned. “Helm.”

 

Which was how Nico found himself crammed into a back booth at Joe’s with three interns, none of whom were who he wanted to be crammed into a back booth at Joe’s with. He had also had to buy them all drinks.

“Alright,” Helm said bluntly, “We all know why we’re here, so… Why should I let you anywhere near Levi?”

“Levi?”

“Schmitt,” Qadri said helpfully. “His first name is Levi.”

Huh.

“You didn’t even know that?” Parker is unimpressed. “You tried to sleep with him without knowing his first name. That’s…”

“I wasn’t trying to sleep with him. I was trying to get a date. Where I would have learned his first name.”

“Do you even still want to date him?”

“I.” Nico closed his mouth, opened, closed it again, cleared his throat. “I’m still interested.” Despite his best efforts. “But I remember what it was like being fresh out of the closet. I’m not at a place in my life where I need to go through that again.”

Helm snorted. “Doctor Kim, I’m a lesbian, and Parker’s…” She paused, glancing at him, and he supplied, helpfully:

“Trans.”

“Parker’s trans,” Helm continued. “Qadri’s…”

“Not up for discussion.”

“Qadri’s not up for discussion. But what we also are, are Schmitt’s best friends. Probably. And his support system.”

“Unfortunately. For him. Ow!” Parker glared at her, reaching under the table to rub his ankle.

“So trust me when I say, whatever experience you had coming out, Schmitt’s isn’t going to be that way. Honestly, he didn’t even need to come out. We all saw how he looked at you.”

There were various nods around the table.

“And none of us cared, and he didn’t bother to hide it. So maybe think about that.”

“And if I promise to think about that, will you let me apologize?”

“I will...arrange...to make sure that you and Schmitt are together in a situation where apologizing might be possible. Whether or not _he_ lets you is another thing all together.”

“I guess that’s all I can ask.”  

“And all I can ask is that you buy us another round. Hey,” she added, when Nico narrowed his eyes at her. “We’re Schmitt’s best friends.”

“Probably,” Qadri added.

“Probably,” Helm agreed. “Get used to us.”

If he ever wanted to apologize to Schmitt, Nico supposed he was going to have to.


End file.
